


The Unlikely Hero

by ponylion4nva



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Eventual Cullen/Inquisitor, Eventual Dorian/OC, Eventual Romance, F/M, I have no plan, I'm Bad At Summaries, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-29
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-10-18 14:29:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17582621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ponylion4nva/pseuds/ponylion4nva
Summary: The story of how Siobhan Trevelyan survived the fade, joined the Inquisition, and saved the world. And fell in love along the way.-Snippet:“It’s a war zone, Siobhan!” Her mother cried, finally stepping into the room.“It’s a peace treaty, mother.” Siobhan rolled her eyes. “Besides, the Divine herself will be there. What is the worst that could happen?”





	1. A Herald Rises

Siobhan took one final look around her room, trying to think of anything she had forgotten to pack.

“Can’t I talk you out of going?” Her mother asked from the hallway. Her long, red hair was down and partially hiding her eyes. Hiding her worry.

“I haven’t seen Kieran in over a year.” Siobhan closed her trunk. “Besides, Father should want me out of the house while his guests are here.”

“Kieran is a templar-”

“-in training.” Siobhan completed for her. “I will not be distracting a negotiator. Besides, I have permission from his commanding officer.”

“It’s a war zone, Siobhan!” Her mother cried, finally stepping into the room.

“It’s a peace treaty, mother.” Siobhan rolled her eyes. “Besides, the Divine herself will be there. What is the worst that could happen?”  
_

Her vision swam as she came too and shot up in bed. The room around her was nicely decorated, the bed comfortable, and sounds of chatting and birdsong flew in from the window. It should be a peaceful moment. She remembered waking up in a cell. How long ago? She hoped waking up in strange places did not become a habit. Siobhan hung her head. The explosion, the temple, and the Divine. All of it flooded back to her. She curled her legs to her chest. Kieran had not been among the reported survivors. Her little brother.

Before Siobhan could roll over and sob into her pillow, a young elvhen boy came into the room. She looked up and he startled at the sight of her. Before Siobhan could get a word in, he mumbled something about telling Lady Cassandra “at once” and the chantry.

Siobhan wondered what could be so scary about her. She walked to the mirror on the desk across from her bed.She picked it up and held it at arm's length. She nearly dropped it when she saw her reflection. Her green eyes now glowed with the same energy as the mark on her hand. It made the scars over her eye and along her cheek seem even more intimidating. She’d have run, too. Or shot her in the eye.

Siobhan quickly got dressed in her armor, pulled her hair up, and strung her bow. Never know when someone might try to arrest her again.  
As she walked to the chantry a crowd gathered. Some began to pray in her presence, others reached for her as if she was holy. It was difficult not to flinch away. She kept her shoulders back and strode forward. Pretended as if she wasn’t about to be sick.

The chantry wasn’t much different. Revered mothers and other chantry members all turned towards her and whispered. It was as if they were all in on a secret she wasn’t.  
She could hear voices behind the door, arguing. Siobhan heard her name, the word prisoner, and mention of an execution. So Chancellor Roderick was likely on the other side. She breathed a deep breath and swung open the door.

“Were you talking about me?” Siobhan strode in, a smirk on her face.

“Chain her!” Roderick immediately pointed at her.

Siobhan dropped to a defensive fighting stance, but the templars stayed at attention.

“Ignore that, and leave us.” Cassandra waved the templars away.

Siobhan stood, brushed herself off, and nodded to the templars as they left.

“Am I to take this as you won’t be chopping my head off?” Siobhan asked.

“Undecided.” Roderick sneered. “She should be taken to the capital and tried!”

“You must be a popular man, huh?” Siobhan commented.

“We will not be arresting the one woman who can save us from the Rift.” Cassandra countered.

“Besides, there are many people still under investigation.” Leliana looked pointedly at Roderick. “It would be premature to be making arrests.”

“Funny, that didn’t stop me from waking up in chains.” Siobhan mumbled.

She felt herself drift off into thought as the three continued to argue. Until Cassandra began to explain the Inquisition. A purpose for her. And a way to get over her grief.

“I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

-

“We may not have a leader, but we do have advisers.” Cassandra explained later. “You’ve already met Commander Cullen.”

“Yes, but it’s nice to officially meet without demons involved.” Cullen smiles at her warmly. “I’m at your service, Lady Siobhan.”

Despite the warring emotions in her head, Siobhan feels a smile on her lips. The Commander had kind eyes, though they were haunted. Not unlike her own, now.

“Careful, you may regret saying that.” She quipped.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” He chuckled.

“Our chief diplomat is Josephine. She will be helping to spread the good word of the Inquistion and gain the support of nobles across Thedas.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Herald.” Josephine spoke in a soft accent, her eyes on Siobhan’s own the whole time. She carried herself like a lady.

“Nevarran nobility?” Siobhan asked, bowing her head slightly. As she had been taught.

“Yes, but that is not necessary.” Josephine took a note. “At least I will not need to set up etiquette lessons for you.”

“Please don’t.” Siobhan paled at the thought of having to endure those lessons again.

“Able to face down demons, but scared of a lesson in politeness?” Cullen asked.

“Demons don’t have a judgmental stare.” Siobhan shrugged. “Besides, it is more socially acceptable to shoot them with an arrow.”

“Good point.”

“If you are all done.” Cassandra looked pointedly between Cullen and Siobhan. “We need to consider our next move.”

“I may have that figured out.” Leliana pulled a letter from her armor. “A Mother Giselle in the Hinterlands wants to meet the Herald of Andraste. I think she would be a valuable ally to the cause.”  
Leliana looked at her expectantly. A survey of the room showed Siobhan that they had all turned to her.

“You want my opinion?” Siobhan asked.

“You are the one who is risking the most.” Cassandra pointed out.

“Besides, the Inquisition is possible because the people believe you are a symbol to rally behind.” Josephine added. “It would be foolish not to take your opinion into account.”

“Very well then.” Siobhan looked to the map below her. The Hinterlands were easy to find. She picked up a wooden soldier and placed him in the center. “Let’s begin.”


	2. Supply Run

The meeting with the Chantry in Val Royeaux did not have the intended effect. Though it did bring attention to their cause. They had even recruited an odd elvhen archer and an elegant circle mage.

“We are growing a bit faster than expected.” Josephine commented. “But we will need to change our supply plans to feed the new recruits.”

“Winter makes it difficult to farm, hunting may be our best option.” Leliana looked out the window as she thought out loud. “We could search for supply caches as well. Or seek out more suppliers from cities.”

“Our problem is too immediate to wait on supply caches or deals with merchants.” Siobhan leaned over the map. Her eyes tracing over the terrain around Haven. “Mountains and forests will provide plenty of wild game, perhaps even some berries or herbs. I’ll take a hunting party out, see what we can find.”

“I’ll come as well.” Cullen offered. His eyes traced over the map as well. He pointed to an area a few kilometers outside of Haven. “We can survey out to here, set up camp and traps by the river. With any luck, after a few days we will come back with enough meat to last us until the other supplies come through.”

“You have far more faith in our current luck than I do.” Siobhan nodded. “It’s a good plan, though. Hopefully we can find some of your soldiers who are a half decent shot.”

In the end, they recruited a dozen volunteers. Siobhan attempted to get Varric to join. He declined, stating that camping in the snow and not getting to shoot demons was not his idea of fun. Sera jumped at the chance to ‘get away from all the fancy chantry clots piddling about’. Whatever that meant, but she was a good shot so Siobhan did not think too hard on it.

Cullen lead the march from Haven with his map. Siobhan stayed next to him, watching his back and calling encouragements to the rest of the troop. Once they reached the spot Cullen had picked, they set up camp and were ready for their first try at hunting by noon.

They paired off and took designated sections. The man who was paired with Sera seemed exhausted by the time they made it into the forest, the elf already up a tree a few feet past the treeline.

“Just us left, Commander.” Siobhan commented. She strung her bow and checked that it was properly waxed.

“Yes, I had planned that.” Cullen commented as he checked his own bow.

“Trying to get me all alone?” Siobhan teased. “Scandalous.”

“I don’t want to trust the safety of our Herald to anyone else.” Cullen leveled a look at her that said he did not appreciate the insinuation. Though the pink dusting his cheeks told a different story.

“Whatever you say, Commander.” Siobhan began to walk into the woods. “I feel safer already.”

Truth be told she was happy to be outside. She breathed in the fresh air and allowed herself to destress.

The distinct sound of a bowstring meeting a armguard and a squeak alerted her that Cullen had made the first kill. He placed the rabbit in the sack he carried and cleaned off his arrow.

“So, do you handle your sword as well as your bow?” Siobhan asked, searching the area around them for any other wild game. She smiled as Cullen choked on a cough in response.

“I am trained as a Templar, so I suppose so.” Cullen responded. She turned to face him, delighted to see that the blush was back.

“Do you blush this easily for all the ladies, or am I special?” Siobhan teased. She lined up a shot and took it. She went over to collect the raccoon. She bent down to make sure that the animal was not suffering.

“Nice shot.” Cullen’s voice was right by her ear, she could feel his warm breath on her face. Siobhan shivered and felt her face flush. She turned to face him and saw Cullen smirking.

“Do you blush that easily for all the gentlemen, or am I just special?” He parroted back to her.

“Fair point.” Siobhan mumbled, adding the raccoon to the sack Cullen carried.

As the Commander walked away, Siobhan wondered about how easy it was to forget her troubles and grief around him.

They spent hours hunting. It was close to dark when Cullen called to her that they needed to return.

“Hold on.” She called back. Siobhan hauled herself up another branch. The beehive was close now.

“What in Andraste’s name are you doing up there?” Cullen asked. She looked down to see his concerned face below the tree.

“Getting some fresh honey.” Siobhan called back. “You’ll thank me when you can add it to your tea.”

“This is an unnecessary risk for some sweets.” Cullen reprimanded.

“Well, if I fall I suppose you’ll just have to catch me.” Siobhan responded. She began sawing away at the branch the hive was on. It was likely inactive in this cold weather, but there might still be some honey left. She let out a triumphant cry as the branch began to fall. As she leaned back to tell Cullen to watch out, Siobhan heard a loud crack. Then she was falling. Her vision blurred as she hit her head on a branch on the way down. She could see the ground approaching and closed her eyes for the impact. 

Then she was tackled out of the air and landed on something distinctly softer than the ground. Cullen groaned beneath her, clearly hurt from catching her fall.

“I told you you would catch me.” Siobhan mumbled, barely able to think clearly.

“Maker’s breath, Siobhan.” Cullen rolled them over and cradled her head. His soft curse and the warmth on her skull told her enough about her injury.

“You called me by my name.” She whispered. “Just my name.”

“Stay awake, Siobhan. Focus.” Cullen commanded. He ripped a part of his sleeve off at some point. Siobhan hissed as he pressed it against her head.

“I’m really tired.” She mumbled. She blinked her eyes and Cullen was leaning over her. “You have pretty eyes.” She smiled as she looked into them.

His face flickered to confusion. Then her vision went black.

-

Siobhan woke up in her tent with a bandage around her head and a throbbing headache. She groaned as she sat up.

Cullen woke up at the noise, jolting awake from his sigil by her bedroll. 

“Thank the Maker.”

“Did you atleast get the honey?” Siobhan asked, a smile on her face.

“Yes, you foolish woman.” Cullen shook his head. “But only because it can be used to help treat your head wound.”

“If anybody asks, I got hit over the head by a brigand with a club.” Siobhan rolled back over, determined to sleep off the pain.

“As you wish.”

-

In the end, their hunting trip was successful. Though Siobhan did get a lecture for undue risk to herself. By the time she made it back to her rooms she was exhausted. She found a cup of tea, sweetened with honey, by her bedside. A note was under it, written in Cullen’s slightly messy hand. “I’ll call you Siobhan if you call me Cullen.”

She smiled, sat on her bed, and enjoyed her tea. 


	3. A Chance Encounter

“We don’t know if the mages can be trusted.” Cullen argued. “I still think we should approach the Templars.”

“Was that Templar punching a revered mother too subtle?” Siobhan asked. “I just think you are allowing your personal bias get in the way of your decision making, Cullen.”

“Do you really think so little of me?” Cullen asked, his head tilted. Waiting, as if he actually expected her to say so.

“I think the world of you.” Siobhan smiled. “I didn’t mean it as an insult, just that you have been conditioned to trust Templars and distrust Mages. Which is fantastic when you need to trust the soldier next to you with your life. But when you’re willing to deny a potential ally without even meeting, I’m not sure it’s the right call.”

“I suppose you have a point.” Cullen rubbed his head. “I just don’t like the idea of you walking into the center of a camp full of mages. They are desperate.”

“Fiona asked for a meeting.” Siobhan shrugged. “I want to believe the best in people. Have to, to stay sane in this world. It’s worth looking into.”

“Well, I’m not sure I trust the rebels.” Cullen sighed. “But I do trust your judgment. Most times.”

Siobhan was about to comment on his jab, already determined to see that smirk again, when a commotion from outside drew their attention.

“Is five minutes of peace so hard to ask for?” Siobhan grumbled.

“Apparently.” Cullen sounded almost as annoyed. One look and they were both strolling out of the Chantry, ready to break up another fight between soldiers.

Instead, they found a soldier yelling at a young, Tevinter man who was not responding. As Siobhan approached, the young man turned and bowed his head.

“I was just asking to speak to you, ma’am.” His voice was softer than Siobhan expected.

“As if the Herald would trust a Vint.” The soldier sneered.

“The Herald would appreciate if the Herald could speak for herself.” Siobhan groaned. “And now you have me speaking in third person, see what you’ve done?”

The soldier looked confused.

“I believe you heard her, Samuel.” Cullen interjected. “Back to your training, we will speak about your conduct later.”

“Yes, sir.” Samuel responded, saluting them both and leaving like a dog with his tail tucked between his legs.

“I appreciate you hearing me out, ma’am.” The young man looked more relaxed, now that someone wasn’t screaming at him.

“Siobhan is fine.” She held out her hand. “I’m sorry you had to deal with that - uh -  what was your name?”

“Cremisius Aclassi, although I typically go by Krem.” He shook her hand. “And I hate to say it, but I’m used to that kind of reaction.”

“Doesn’t make it right.” Siobhan commented.

“Agreed.” Krem smiled, finally. “I was sent by the Iron Bull to invite you to the Storm Coast. The Bull’s Chargers are the best mercenary band in Thedas, and if you see us in action I believe you’ll want to work with us.”

“Interesting, I was just looking for some security.” Siobhan smirked, turning to Cullen.

The commander shook his head and walked away. Likely to have a talk with Samuel. Siobhan turned back to Krem, who looked a bit confused by the exchange.

“So, where should I meet this Iron Bull?” Siobhan asked.

“The Iron Bull, ma’am. He likes the article.” Krem smiled fondly at the mention of his captain’s quirk. “We will be patrolling the Storm Coast. There’s been reports of some Tevinter warships heading to the shores there. That should be a good show of our skill.”

“I look forward to it, Krem.” Siobhan held out her hand. Krem shook hers, bowed his head slightly in respect, and turned on his heel. “Safe travels.” She called after him.

Krem turned back, startled, and waved once more with a smile.

Siobhan watched him until he was safely to his horse, and unhassled by any other soldiers, before she turned and walked back to the Chantry. She strode for the war room, where Cassandra and Leliana were planning their next move.

“So, how do you ladies feel about the beach?” Siobhan asked as her eyes traced the map for the Storm Coast. Before either could respond she pointed directly at it and asked. “Do we have a presence here yet?”

“Did you just refer to the Storm Coast as the beach?” Cassandra asked. “It’s miserable there.”

“Not to mention inhospitable to the Inquisition. We’ve sent some scouts in the past, it’s never ended well.” Leliana leaned against the war table, staring at the map as if she could figure out the Herald’s plan herself. “Why do you ask?”

“I’ve gotten intel that there are Tevinter warships on their way there.” Siobhan picked up a wooden figure and rolled it around in her hands. “It came from a potential ally, who will be there ready to fight them. I think it would be in our best interest to assist.”

“There is a rich deposit of minerals available in that region.” Leliana mused. “It could be beneficial for arming our soldiers.”

“Blocking Tevinter intervention would strengthen our position, as well.” Cassandra added. “Who is this potential ally?”

“A mercenary group known as the Bull’s Chargers.” Siobhan answered, still toying with the wooden figure.

“I’ve heard of them.” Leliana straightened up and turned to Cassandra. “They would be a valuable asset, if the stories are true. An expensive asset, though.”

“Can we afford them?” Siobhan asked, her eyes darting between the two women.

“Josephine can find the funds.” Leliana answered.

“We could use more trained fighters.” Cassandra furrowed her brow. “Though, we should keep a close eye on these mercenaries incase their loyalty shifts.”

“Good point.” Siobhan hovered the wooden figure over the Storm Coast. “So, onward?”

“To the beach.” Leliana answered, smirking.

A few days later, Siobhan understood Cassandra’s distaste for the Coast. The rain felt as if it was punching her in the face and the wind roared so loudly she was sure she would go deaf. Cassandra stood by her, hands folded under her arms and a look of distaste gracing her features.

“I thought you said we were going to the beach?” Sera complained, trying to use her hand to shield her eyes. “Were you taking the piss? I thought fancy schmancy beaches were sunny. Not so loud.”

“They are, my dear.” Viviane stood at the back of the group. Somehow, she seemed the least bothered by the locale. “This is not a vacation spot. I believe our dear Herald was making a joke.”

“I thought it would create a better mood.”

“Yea, I’m jumping out of my breeches with joy.” Sera grumbled. “Can we go find the cow people and get home? I want a drink.”

“I have to agree with Sera on that one. Let’s go see the Charger’s and get the hell out of this place.” Siobhan hopped in place to get feeling back in her feet, which were now bogged down with water.

In the end, it was easy enough to find the Chargers. They went down to the beach and followed the sound of screaming. Siobhan was shocked to see that the leader of the Bull’s Chargers was, in fact, a Qunari. A very large Qunari. Though, in retrospect, the name the Iron Bull should have probably giving that away.

Their little troop wasted no time in joining the fight. It seemed Sera was happy to take her anger out on something, as she decided instead of shooting arrows she would charge in screaming and beat the enemies over the head with her quiver. It was surprisingly effective.

Partially because Viviane kept a barrier on her, but still more effective than Siobhan would have originally guessed.

Siobhan decided on shooting from a distance until a creaking in the wood of her bow made her pause. She must not have oiled it enough before taking it out in a storm. She shrugged, unstrung it, and grabbed two arrows from her quiver. They would work as makeshift daggers.

She ended up fighting next to Cassandra, using her speed as a distraction for the Seeker to make the final blow. In the end, they were surrounded by dead Tevinter soldiers. One of which Sera was still kicking in the head while cursing about rain and beaches. Viviane was, unsuccessfully, trying to get her to calm down and assuring her that the soldier was, in fact, dead.

“Ha, I like a leader who is willing to jump in and knock some heads.” The Qunari approached, arms wide and grinning. Siobhan was instantly interested in the patch over his eye. Iron Bull noticed, pointed to it, and said. “I’ll tell you my story if you tell me yours.”

“Maybe if you buy me a drink first.” Siobhan snorted. “It’s not a fun story to remember.”

“Fair enough.” Bull held up his hands in a placating manner. “You don’t need to tell me. Just trying to break the ice. So, what do you think?”

“You’re all very impressive.” Siobhan rolled her shoulders, attempting to get the tension of battle out of her muscles. “Especially for such a rag tag crew.”

“Speak for yourself.” Bull nodded towards were Viviane has managed to drag Sera away from the dead soldier and has sat her down on a rock with a waterskin full of wine. Cassandra hung her head and sighed at the sight.

“That,” Siobhan sighed, conceding. “Is a fair point.” Bull smiled in response.

“Look, we’re expensive. But we’re worth it.” Bull gestured for her to follow as he talked. “We’ll take on anything you want. The bigger the better. And me? I’ll be your personal meat shield, throw me at whatever enemy you want and I guarantee you won’t be bothered by them anymore.”

“Sounds too good to be true.” Siobhan had sat through enough business deals to know there is a catch.

“You’re perceptive.” Iron Bull agreed. He turned. “I’ll be honest with you. Have you heard of the Ben-Hassrath?”

“Anybody with any military strategy training has heard of them.” Siobhan groaned. “Oh, don’t tell me.”

“Like I said, honest.” Iron Bull shrugged and sat on a rock. “I’m an agent of Ben-Hassrath. As such, I need to report to the powers that be. It won’t impact my work with you or the Inquisition’s functioning. I’ll even let that spy master of yours look over all my letters first.”

“You are either a very good or terrible spy.” Siobhan commented.

“Guess you’ll never know.” Iron Bull winked. Or, attempted to.

“You know that just looks like you’re blinking, right?” Siobhan asked, brow raised.

“Damn, I don’t know how I still make that mistake.” Iron Bull shook his head. “Just trust me, that used to be charming.”

“Whatever you say, Bull.” Siobhan held out her hand. “Welcome to the Inquisition.”

“Can’t wait to get started.” Iron Bull answered, then attempted to pull away. Siobhan gripped his hand and pulled him forward. He fixed her with a curious stare.

“If you betray us or put our mission at risk, I will shoot out your other eye. Clear?” Siobhan whispered, ensuring that her eyes briefly glowed brighter by activating the mark slightly, before releasing him.

“Fair enough.” Iron Bull shrugged, then turned and shouted back to the Chargers. “Pack up, we’ve got a new job to do.”

The Chargers grumbled about wasted ale, but listened to their captain. Cassandra made her way over to Siobhan and joined her in watching the Chargers pack up to join them on the way back.

“How did it go?” She asked, crossing her arms and turning to the Herald.

“I think we came to an understanding.”


	4. Sleepless Nights

The ground below Siobhan seemed to be constantly shifting and a green fog has settled across the clearing. She looked around, waiting for a demon or spirit to come and pick a fight. Her hand itched for her bow, the safety of it’s presence lost to her in this strange place.

A figure appeared out of the mist, walking towards her. Siobhan shifted her weight so she could run, if need be.

“Who’s there?” Siobhan called out. Her voice echoed across the clearing, calling back to her.

“Sio?” A familiar voice came from the mist. “Is that you?”

The voice echoed, same as hers. It sounded so familiar. Her brother. He even used her nickname, the one Kieran had given her when they were young. 

“Ki?” Siobhan called back, already running toward the figure. But it disappeared. “Please, where are you?”

“Help me!” Kieran called out. His voice was all around her, echoing in the clearing and in her head.

“Where are you, Ki?” Siobhan turned, searching for that shape in the mist. “Please, I want to help but I can’t find you.”

“There’s no saving me now, Herald.” Her brothers voice, the one she knew as well as her own, turned dark. Demonic. Turned into that voice from the vision.

Skittering noises surrounded her. Echoing. Coming closer. The mist thickening as each moment passed. She watched in horror as the creatures she’d seen in the Fade formed out of the mist. Siobhan turned and ran. They gave chase, crawling over each other to get closer to her. Siobhan’s heart hammered in her chest, fear weighing her down. One of the creatures grabbed her ankle, and she fell. They crawled over her, their fangs clacking together as they looked for the perfect place to bite. Siobhan screamed as one lunged at her face.

She bolted upright in her bed, her own scream still ringing in her ears. Sweat covered her skin. She threw the blanket, wrapped around her, to the ground. Siobhan rubbed her face and curled her legs towards her chest, willing her breathing to calm down. The skin on her left hand tingled as the mark pulsed.

“Is this your fault?” Siobhan turned her hand over, looking at the green mark as it’s glow pulsed in time with her heart. “Are you just going to remind me of my failures every night?”

The mark didn’t answer. She closed her hand, dimming the glow just a bit. Siobhan didn’t think she would ever miss pure darkness until now. She sighed, her breathing calmer. Her head wasn’t clear, though. Kieran calling out to her still rang in her head.

Siobhan stood and got dressed, being sure to grab her bow and quiver. In a few minutes, the cold air was cooling her heated face. She breathed a sigh of relief, watching as it curled in the air. The stars were out, shining brightly and illuminating Haven in a soft glow. Aside from the guards on night duty, who bowed their heads in recognition as she passed, there were few other people out. As Siobhan approached the gates, aiming to take a walk in the nearby woods, she heard the sound of a practice blade against a training dummy.

Siobhan turned the corner to see Cullen going through drills. He was dressed in a simple outfit that was a far cry from his usual armor. He was too focused to notice her approach. It seemed as if he wasn’t even paying attention to his work, allowing muscle memory to take him through the motions.

“Couldn’t sleep?” Siobhan asked as she approached. Cullen tensed and twisted, swinging the blade in his hand toward her neck. It stopped inches away. Cullen’s eyes were wide as he recognized her. She held up her hands in surrender and smiled.

“Maker’s breath.” Cullen gasped out. He lowered the blade and rubbed his eyes. “I could’ve taken your head off.”

“Not with that blade.” Siobhan shrugged. “Besides, I knew you wouldn’t.”

“Still, I am sorry.” Cullen rubbed his neck. “I wasn’t completely here. I shouldn’t have allowed myself to drift off like that.”

Cullen turned and walked to put the practice blade away. Siobhan waited for him to speak again, but it didn’t come. She noticed the tension in his shoulders and the sadness in his eyes.

“Is it the dreams?” Siobhan asked. “The lyrium induced ones, I mean.”

“How do you know about those?” Cullen spun to face her, surprise clear on his face.

“Ki-” Siobhan choked on his name. “My brother wrote me about the dreams after he learned about them in his training. He was scared of them, I think. He’s always had bad nightmares.”

“I see.” Cullen approached her once again. “I’m sorry, about your brother. I don’t think I ever said that.”

“Thank you.” Siobhan smiled at him. “So, was it the dreams?”

“I suppose it was too much to ask that you would let that go.” Cullen sighed. He gestured for her to follow. They took a seat by a campfire. Cullen draped a blanket over her shoulders before doing the same for himself.

“You don’t have to tell me about it if it’s too much.” Siobhan broke the silence. She noticed Cullen staring into the fire, either unsure where to start or unwilling to start at all. “Just know that I’m here.”

“You have enough to deal with.” Cullen replied. “Adding my own problems to yours sounds selfish.”

“Would it help if I told you it’s distracting me from my own problems?” Siobhan nudged his shoulder with her own. Cullen laughed.

“So you’re using me, Herald?” He asked. “How rude.”

“I’ve never been known for my tactfulness.” Siobhan chuckled. “It’s probably why my mother was terrified I would never find a husband. Well, that, and my face.”

“The scar?” Cullen asked. “What about it? It doesn’t make you any less beautiful.”

Siobhan turned to Cullen with a brow raised and a smile on her face. Slowly, realization dawned on his face about what he’d said. She watched as he cheeks turned pink and he buried his face in his hands.

“I didn’t mean to say that.”

“So, you don’t think I’m beautiful?” Siobhan teased.

“You enjoy torturing me, don’t you?” Cullen asked, finally lifting his head from his hands.

“You make it too easy.” Siobhan teased. She turned back to the fire. “I do appreciate the compliment, though. I don’t think anyone's called me beautiful since I got this scar.”

“If you don’t mind my asking, how did you get the scar?” Cullen’s voice was soft, like he was talking to a scared animal.

“It was a long time ago.” Siobhan pulled the blanket tighter around herself. “When I was 14 and my brother was 8. There was this wolf pack that came through our territory. We were banned from the forest until they passed through. My brother and I were so excited to go on one of our adventures through the forest again, once they passed. We got the news that they were gone and practically ran into the woods. I had a small dagger, just in case. We played for a couple hours. I remember my brother screaming. One of the wolves had been abandoned by the pack and was desperate. He cornered my brother. I got between him and the wolf with my dagger and told him to run. The wolf lunged, I aimed for the heart, and we went down. I hit my mark, but so did the wolf.”

Siobhan took a deep breath and ran her fingers along the ridge of the scars along her cheek. Three claw marks, nearly a decade old, that still marked her.

“So you were brave even as a child.” Cullen mused. “Sounds like you didn’t hesitate.”

“I don’t think I fully processed what was happening until my brother was helping me out of the woods.” Siobhan shrugged. “I just needed to make sure he was safe.”

“It sounds like he was lucky to have you.” Cullen squeezed her shoulder through the blanket. “You should try to get some rest, Siobhan. You’re supposed to leave for Redcliffe in a few hours.”

Siobhan nodded in agreement. She stood and folded the blanket back on the log she’d been sitting on. She paused before leaving.

“Thank you, for listening.” Siobhan smiled. “It helped, being able to tell someone else that story.”

“If you ever need an ear, I’m here.” Cullen went back to staring at the fire.

“The same goes for you, Cullen.” Siobhan turned and walked away. After a few feet she called back. “And get some sleep, you have troops to train.”

Siobhan walked back to her room quickly, nodding to those that greeted her. She switched back into her sleeping clothes and picked her blanket up. It was easy to fall asleep, Cullen’s compliment still playing in her head.


End file.
